Nomura has launched the 'Voyager Nomura Fintech Partnership', a global accelerator cum co-creation platform to collaborate with startups all over the world to build products and solutions specifically for capital markets and investment banking (CMIB)Supraja Srinivasan | ET Bureau | Updated: April 19, 2017, 16:46 IST

In a first for the fintech startup ecosystem, global investment bank Nomura has launched the `Voyager Nomura Fintech Partnership', a global accelerator cum co-creation platform to collaborate with startups all over the world to build products and solutions specifically for capital markets and investment banking (CMIB) which can be deployed across Nomura and the financial industry .

With a majority of existing fintech solutions focused largely on retail banking needs, Nomura's programme will look at startups that can leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, anomaly detection, pattern recognition, etc, to develop innovative solutions for CMIB.

The selected startups will get a chance to collaborate with Nomura businesses across regions and create products or solutions which can be implemented.

“We will work closely to develop products and solutions that can be integrated with Nomura's systems and where Nomura can become their potential client. Any solution that gets implemented here can be exported to Nomura's global platform so any startup that can make an impression here, will be able to scale globally ," Nikhil Mehta, executive director at Nomura Services India told ET. Successful solutions that are applicable to other firms within the financial industry will be monetised.

Only mature startups with at least one round of external funding will be potentially eligible for the initiative, given the “regulatory and complicated nature of capital markets and investment banking, " said Mehta who also leads the fintech initiatives for the firm in India.

“We are testing robo advisory tech for our retail clients on the wealth management side in Japan.If we apply a similar concept (in India) by partnering with startups to explore this in areas of risk management, quantitative capability , research, patent recognition, customer insights and behavioural trends, we will be able to add value to the franchise," RK Rang an, president, Nomura Services India told ET.

Nomura believes solutions developed through this program could help reduce cost, give access to new clients, manage risk optimally while improve pricing metrics. This could help enhance Nomura's revenues and reduce cost “significantly," reckoned Rangan.

The Nomura Innovation Centre (a state-of-the-art facility) set up in Mumbai will give startups access to the firm's existing infrastructure, technology and processes on a case to-case basis as they create new solutions.

The programme will also allow startups to tap into Nomura's wholly owned subsidiary N-Village -the Japan-based fund set up to finance and promote new businesses and emerging technologies. The $100-million fund will invest in startups and other companies outside the Nomura Group, providing financial and other support in their open innovation efforts and business expansion.

“The $100-million N-Village fund is based out of Japan but its applicability is worldwide. Here in India, we will look at opportunities based on caseby-case depending on the requirement, the merit and accordingly we will dip into that fund," said Rangan.

Nomura has partnered with Google, IBM, Amazon Internet Services and PwC for the programme.